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Backgrounder
Memorandum of Understanding between Parks Canada and the Royal Ontario Museum to Launch the 2013 BioBlitz in the Future Rouge National Urban Park
Parks Canada-Royal Ontario Museum Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Parks Canada has a proud legacy as an international leader in heritage conservation, education and visitor experience. Reflecting the three pillars of our mandate – Protection, Education and memorable Visitor Experience – Parks Canada has become the largest conservation organization and provider of heritage tourism products in Canada, with more than 20 million person-visits annually to its administered places.
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is among the world’s leading museums of natural history and world cultures. With this dual mandate, the ROM offers an unusual breadth of experience to audiences from around the world. ROM Biodiversity’s signature gallery is Life in Crisis: Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, an interactive space that explores our world’s biodiversity and the many factors affecting its conservation and survival. As one of the Museum’s most popular destinations, this gallery showcases 2,500 specimens including a colourful aquarium, home to live reef invertebrates and small fishes, and Bull, the famous White Rhino, one of the ROM’s Iconic Objects.
In recent years, Parks Canada and the ROM have developed an excellent working relationship and successful track record of collaboration on significant projects, including original research and exhibitions. Their combined expertise and networks have the potential to provide the foundation for greater discovery of Canada’s natural and historic treasured places, while creating new and expanded opportunities for Canadians. As such, the two organizations have formalized their collaboration through the development of an MOU that will provide a framework for identifying and prioritizing joint initiatives that are national in scope, have a strong base in Toronto and that will help Canadians to discover and develop a strong sense of connection to their protected places.
2013 Ontario BioBlitz
Taking place at the future Rouge National Urban Park on September 14-15, 2013, the Ontario BioBlitz is a collaborative initiative of the Toronto Zoo, the Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Nature, the existing Rouge Park and Toronto & Region Conservation Authority. The 2013 BioBlitz is being hosted by the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre. Established in 2012, the BioBlitz was created to encourage hands-on outdoor activities that celebrate the wonder and variety of Ontario’s nature, while inspiring participants to become champions for wild species and spaces across the province. With the addition of Parks Canada and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario as partners this year, the Ontario BioBlitz continues to grow and attract participants from all walks of life.
Working together, scientists and members of the public identify and record all animal, plant and fungal species they find in the park over a 24-hour time period. Last year’s inaugural Ontario BioBlitz-Rouge Park was the largest survey of its kind in Canadian history, attracting over 225 participants and with over 1,480 species discovered – the highest number in Canada ever for that type of event. The 2013 BioBlitz has exceeded the participant registration with more than 430 citizen scientists taking part, making it the largest BioBlitz in the world.
Rouge National Urban Park Initiative
With the future Rouge National Urban Park as the host location of the Ontario BioBlitz, the Government of Canada has a unique opportunity to showcase its exciting initiative to create Canada’s first national urban park. As part of Economic Action Plan 2012, the federal government announced the creation of Rouge National Urban Park and committed $143.7M over ten years for park development and interim operations, and $7.6 million annually thereafter for continuing operations.
The opportunity to establish Rouge National Urban Park under the stewardship of Parks Canada, builds on the legacy of the Agency as international leader in conservation, visitor experience and education. It is also well aligned with the Agency’s priority to meaningfully reach Canada’s youth and our country’s increasingly diverse urban population. Parks Canada is excited to have the opportunity to establish Rouge National Urban Park as a place where nature, culture and agriculture can all be protected, appreciated and experienced by Canadians.
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Parks Canada has a proud legacy as an international leader in heritage conservation, education and visitor experience. Reflecting the three pillars of our mandate – Protection, Education and memorable Visitor Experience – Parks Canada has become the largest conservation organization and provider of heritage tourism products in Canada, with more than 20 million person-visits annually to its administered places.
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is among the world’s leading museums of natural history and world cultures. With this dual mandate, the ROM offers an unusual breadth of experience to audiences from around the world. ROM Biodiversity’s signature gallery is Life in Crisis: Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, an interactive space that explores our world’s biodiversity and the many factors affecting its conservation and survival. As one of the Museum’s most popular destinations, this gallery showcases 2,500 specimens including a colourful aquarium, home to live reef invertebrates and small fishes, and Bull, the famous White Rhino, one of the ROM’s Iconic Objects.
In recent years, Parks Canada and the ROM have developed an excellent working relationship and successful track record of collaboration on significant projects, including original research and exhibitions. Their combined expertise and networks have the potential to provide the foundation for greater discovery of Canada’s natural and historic treasured places, while creating new and expanded opportunities for Canadians. As such, the two organizations have formalized their collaboration through the development of an MOU that will provide a framework for identifying and prioritizing joint initiatives that are national in scope, have a strong base in Toronto and that will help Canadians to discover and develop a strong sense of connection to their protected places.
2013 Ontario BioBlitz
Taking place at the future Rouge National Urban Park on September 14-15, 2013, the Ontario BioBlitz is a collaborative initiative of the Toronto Zoo, the Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Nature, the existing Rouge Park and Toronto & Region Conservation Authority. The 2013 BioBlitz is being hosted by the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre. Established in 2012, the BioBlitz was created to encourage hands-on outdoor activities that celebrate the wonder and variety of Ontario’s nature, while inspiring participants to become champions for wild species and spaces across the province. With the addition of Parks Canada and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario as partners this year, the Ontario BioBlitz continues to grow and attract participants from all walks of life.
Working together, scientists and members of the public identify and record all animal, plant and fungal species they find in the park over a 24-hour time period. Last year’s inaugural Ontario BioBlitz-Rouge Park was the largest survey of its kind in Canadian history, attracting over 225 participants and with over 1,480 species discovered – the highest number in Canada ever for that type of event. The 2013 BioBlitz has exceeded the participant registration with more than 430 citizen scientists taking part, making it the largest BioBlitz in the world.
Rouge National Urban Park Initiative
With the future Rouge National Urban Park as the host location of the Ontario BioBlitz, the Government of Canada has a unique opportunity to showcase its exciting initiative to create Canada’s first national urban park. As part of Economic Action Plan 2012, the federal government announced the creation of Rouge National Urban Park and committed $143.7M over ten years for park development and interim operations, and $7.6 million annually thereafter for continuing operations.
The opportunity to establish Rouge National Urban Park under the stewardship of Parks Canada, builds on the legacy of the Agency as international leader in conservation, visitor experience and education. It is also well aligned with the Agency’s priority to meaningfully reach Canada’s youth and our country’s increasingly diverse urban population. Parks Canada is excited to have the opportunity to establish Rouge National Urban Park as a place where nature, culture and agriculture can all be protected, appreciated and experienced by Canadians.
News Release associated with this Backgrounder.
